Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-02-03

under this treatment. One hen will be-
gin scratshing, while thieyish associate
standing by will, for a while pick up
every grain she uncovers. Then, when
the workers patience is quite gone, she
will pitch into the intruder, Jerk out
mouthful of feathers, whack her over the
head until she fees, and then resume
business. Sometimes, however, it must
be confessed the victory is not to the
honest hen, but to the other. But at any
rate they are furnished with good en-
ployment and in the natural way. The
rubbish is scratched over hundreds of
times, especially in summer, when many
creeping insects and bugs resort to
it as hiding place. The hens like to
hunt them as well as grain, or even bet
ter, and what they get in this way saves
the owner on his meat bill. Such grain
as may not be found in some weeks
sprouts perhaps, and thus furnish another
variety of food. When yard is kept
we'll supplied with rubbish for sevelGl
years, fine compost is formed some
/ inches thick, which can be carted away
and applied when needed, or ploughed
under ON the spot for the benefit of trees.
A flock of fowls treated in this way are
really worth more as composers than
swine are on a manure heap, unless the
latter are starved into the appreciation of
root, hog, or die My hen.house floor
is usually covered with several inches of
sawdust and when long spell ofweather'
makes it injudicious to scatter grain ont
of doors | scatter il over the sawdust
| FIRST turning the fowls out few minutes
make pile of it with grain mixed
| through IT, and then invite the hens in.
| They come pell-mell, and the way they
| level down such pile in half an hour or
! less is curious 20 behold. The adYan-
/ tage is in the employment and exercise
| furnished and l desire to impress upon
all beginners, as we'll as some others who
have neglected it, that employment for
confined fowls is a very important matter.
Such people, as an excuse for neglect
or laziness, are always referring to ma
ture, and claiming that her processes
must be very closely followed as to live
stock. For instance in q state of nature
fowls roost in trees, suppose and 'roost
high" at thnt But trees are not neces-
sary to success with poultry-a good
comfortable hen-house is better. In a
state of nature fowls never get cooked
food, but when domestisated nothing is
better than the cooked refuse of the Ia
BILE. In winter, too, they dearly love q
''hot NASH and ii is not wise to refuse il
because they don't get it when running
wild. Take about equal parts of bran
and corn meal, with some buckwheat OF
OATS scald them with boiling water, stir
ring well; cover half an hour or less, and
see how they will Ego for ith on Il frosty
morning. If at first they burn themselves
little, they soon learn how TO manage II
and take in cold air along with ho
mouthful. As to compelling them to eat
snow for water, or to drink ice water, thai
is another cruelty; tepid water is grea
deal better, Just as it is, indeed, for COWS
and horses. They are generally colo
enough on winters morning withou
obliging them to eat cold victuals anC
swallow cold drinks. At that time of da!
the kitchen stove or range is generally il
full activity, and hot water 20 scald I
mash for the biddies can be made withou
much inconvenience. Whole dry grain
can be fed later, and a crop full of corr
is good to retire with at shutdown. Bal
the temptation TO feed abundantly of
whole corn must be guarded against. II
is cheap and convenient, but an undue
proportion causes excessive internal fat
and seriously interferes with egg produc
ton and other functions. Wheat, in its
various forms is better, and moderate por
tions of buckwheat and oats always Judi
cious.
One other matter for fowls in Confine
ment must be attended to, in addition t
food and water, which at large usually
REQUIRES no care at all. 1t is to suppl,
something for the grinding apparatus
In the gizzard of every healthy fowl vii
be found after death more or less hare
substances, usually gravel, with sharp o
rough edges, which are essential TO th
proper preparation of the food before
il becomes part of the flesh or blood
Whenever fowls can get to the earth
they will usually find all they need o
gravel though the supply may become
exhausted after long confinement in th'
same ward, particularly when 1t is small
When the earth outside and inside tn
ward is covered with snow or ice TO
weeks and months, then Is the time
all other periods, when the work mus
receive attention. Broken pebbles brok
en- crockery, bits of brick or old mortar
or almost anything that Is haru anu ha
a rough edge, viii! be swallowed in small
quantities, as instinct teaches the fowls Il
search for it. They will, too, alway5 ca
limited amount OF finely crushed Done
which l suppose answers for both foo'
and grinding. Bones from animals late
ly butchered, full OF grease and marrow
and with adhering pieces of meat o
gristle. will always be eaten greedil.
when crushed fine, and so ravenous ar
the fowls for such diet that it is rathe
dangerous to attempt to break the bones
in their presence unless the pounding
block or rock is elevated. They pa
little attention to the blows, but will at
t.mpt to seize the pieces when the Ak o.
hammer is falling, andif great care Il
not exercised there will be some msshe'
chicken heads. 1t is economical to crus
the bones as soon as the meat is oil, q
then all matters are retained and add u
their value, while ayear or more OF e1
nosure rmoves the softer matter and al
an makes it hard work TO crush them
miscellaneous collection, or rathe
scattering of bones about the premises
shows untidiness and waste, and give
visitors a bad impression. They ar
worth something TO sell, but much NOR